Process and apparatus for the production of blends

Abstract

A continuous process for the production of blends of fibers having two or more different colors which comprises passing a plurality of fiber slivers or strands of desired length together in mutually parallel relationship through at least one pair of printing rolls, and imprinting the fiber slivers or strands in one operating stage with different colorants in varying thicknesses and amounts, based on a unit length or unit area of said fiber slivers or strands.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for the production of blends of fibers having two or more different colors which comprises, in a continuous operating procedure, passing a plurality of fiber slivers or strands of desired lengths together in mutually parallel relationship through at least one pair of printing rolls, and imprinting the fiber slivers or strands together in one operating stage with different colorants in varying thicknesses and amounts, based on a unit length or unit area of said fiber slivers or strands whereby a desired mixed color effect is obtained in said fibers. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1, in which at least one portion of the number of strands is printed only in the longitudinal direction with the color pattern, and another portion disposed beside the one portion is imprinted in the longitudinal direction with a different color pattern. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1, in which at least a portion of the number of strands is imprinted in the transverse direction with a color pattern and subsequently with another color pattern. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1, in which a portion of the parallel-traveling fiber slivers or strands is dyed in a solid color. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 1, in which a portion of the parallel-travelling fiber slivers is dyed in mixed colors. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 1, in which, for production of printing patterns on the fiber slivers or strands that travel through a pair of printing rolls, an always constant amount of colorant is transferred to both sides of the slivers from indentations in at least one intaglio or engraved roller. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1, in which the colored parallel-travelling fiber slivers or strands are conducted together, in a directly following continuous stage, for the fixation of the thus-applied colors, into a fixing unit, wherein the material passes preferably in dense folds or layers through a hot atmosphere, the material then passes through a washing unit, and finally, prior to being deposited, the material is dried in a drying device. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 1, in which the fixing unit is a belt steamer, the washing unit is a sieve drum washing device with several washing baths, and the drying device is a sieve drum drier. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 7, in which the number of imprinted and/or solid-color-dyed fiber slivers or strands is together fed to a mixing zone immediately after drying in said drying device. 
     
     
       10. The process of claim 1, further comprising fixing the colorants to said fiber slivers or strands in a heated atmosphere, washing the thus-fixed fiber slivers or strands, drying the fiber slivers or strands and thereafter drawing the fiber slivers or strands.